OK. This might not be for everyone. Figure drawing for 12 hours. Tribal drumming. A hundred artists. A very primitive gestalt. Around 3 o'clock in the morning a special kind of energy kicks in that I can't describe but must be experienced. At 6 o'clock all the models and artist gather in one room and the models start dancing. You find yourself drawing movement rather than form. One of those things you should do at least once.

Friday, March 23rd (7pm to 3am) and Saturday March 24th (3pm to 12pm), After party at Retreat to follow (12pm to 3am) . The location is 147 Front Street, second floor. The building is on the Corner of Jay St. and Front St. You can take the F train to York Street and walk down Jay to Front. Enter through Retreat.

The event cost $20 for one day $25 for both days.

We always aim to keep the price low so that everyone can come.

Full bar and food available by Retreat.

DRAW-A-THON THEATER :An alternative to conventional figure drawing

by adding narrative, theatrical and musical components

in a public space where artists create and form community. Designed to be drawn.

The DRAW-A-THON THEATER has been around since November 2005.Starting at Fix Cafe in Williamsburg, the event drew over 150 artists and was instantly a success.Emerging as a monthly event, the Draw-A-Thon Theater expanded throughout New York, taking place in several locations in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.Since the first event, all ages and skill levels have attended and formed a powerful creative community.The alternative to conventional study offers people the chance to draw unusual, theatrical, multi-model scenes and scenarios in a marathon setting.

" The Draw-a-thon fulfills a need I have to engage in bizarre and completely absurd situations " -Sabrina Frank, Art model

"Go to the Draw-A-Thon"

-NBC The Today Show

"The models pose in scenes of liveliness and connection, and well, romance that was always absent."

- New York Press

We invite anyone and everyone to come and create drawings, paintings, poems, stories, sculpture and all things thoughtful.All ages and skill level welcome. For additional information and photographs of the event please visit www.michaelalanart.com

After my frustration at the San Diego ComiCon last summer I attended this NY ComiCon with very few expectations. There in San Diego I stood before any number of editors who absolutely refuse to consider any work. The situation in New York proved to be very different many editors there were happy to be talked up and I got several who instructed me to send them my book. Some actually looked at it there and asked to be sent a copy. This past winter a prominent graphic novel agent gave me a pass. After that my experience at the NY Con was very encouraging. It needs be said again the ”ComiCon is miss named. Today all media is connected. While the venues older folks like myself have been use to working in begin to diminish, illustration is alive and well here, represented by TV, film, toys and gaming. Media production is full of art. This Included Gaming as well as TV and film. Storyboards Scene design, Set design, color design and character and makeup design. On the other hand all of these are extremely collaborative things and give little opportunity for any real personal expression. Which leads to the other venue, which is self-initiated projects, like illustrated books and graphic novels. One of the things I learned at the Graphic Novel Conference is while book publishing has remained flat for the past 5 years, graphic novels have gone from 75 million in sales to 335 million in sales. They expect the trend to continue. Toy concepts fall somewhere in between. They have become like a pop fashion scene complete with music and media tie-ins. Best example I can think of from when I was a kid is Big Daddy Roth with ”Rat Fink” and ”Monster Cars.” ”To infinity and beyond….”

Graphic Novel conference

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/http://www.publishersweekly.com/eNewsletterArchive/2789.htmlhttp://www.icv2.com/Here are some good links to start an education about the graphic novel industry